Eureka Marco Polo Advanced Pet Tracker Review

Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com

Not everyone has reliable internet or cell service, but we all want to keep our cats safe! Marco Polo solves this problem for cat parents living in rural areas, and those who want to vacation or hike with their cat.

While most cat trackers rely on GPS or bluetooth, the Marco Polo cat tracker uses a self-contained system, requiring no GPS, WiFi, or cell service. It performs well and can detect a cat up to two miles away.

Let’s go over the pros and cons of the Marco Polo tracking system to see if it’s the right choice for you and your cat.

Why Trust Cats.com

Here at Cats.com, we purchase and test products ourselves and provide honest, thorough reviews. This allows us to recommend products that really work for cat parents.

We’ve tested over 15 cat trackers in the past two years, looking at things like efficiency, battery life, and cat comfort. We’ve found the Eureka cat tracker to be best for those in rural areas, especially in places without reliable cell service or WiFi.

Marco Polo Brand Overview

Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com

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Marco Polo is a company that makes tracking systems for pets and drones. Their goal is to make durable trackers with long battery lives, so that you have plenty of time to find your lost cat. Since their tracking systems are self-contained, you don’t need access to GPS, WiFi, or cellular networks.

Marco Polo Cat Tracker Features

The Marco Polo cat tracker comes with two pieces: the locator, which you’ll need to keep on hand to find your cat, and the tracking tag, which attaches to your cat’s collar. Both will need to be charged before use.

Once everything is charged, simply place the tracking tag into the sleeve and attach it to a breakaway cat collar using the velcro strips (which can then be cut to size). The locator works without GPS, WiFi, or cell service, and uses an arrow on screen to point you in the direction of your pet. You’ll also see a bullseye with a percentage range to show how close you are to your cat, with higher percentages meaning you’re getting closer. In tracking mode, the locator beeps one to three times every five seconds. One beep means you’re further away, while three beeps means you’re getting close.

The Marco Polo system tracks pets at a distance of up to two miles away in open areas, but you may need to get closer on rough terrain or if there are obstructions in the way. If your pet is further than two miles away, Marco Polo recommends driving around until their tracker shows up on the locator.

You can also set up a safety range and be alerted if your cat wanders outside of that distance, so that you can track them down immediately. If your cat keeps running off when found, the battery life on the tracking tag lasts up to six weeks, giving you plenty of time to trap them. You can also track up to three pets with one locator, with additional tracking tags sold separately.

Although the Marco Polo is more expensive than many devices that use newer technology, such as GPS tracking, it’s also a one-time purchase with no subscription fees. Once you account for even a one year subscription, the price evens out. After several years, the Marco Polo costs much less than most GPS tracking devices.

Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com

What We Like

Track your cat anywhere, even in rural areas without WiFi or cell service
Set-up is simple, and the tracking system is easy to use
The tracking tag has a battery life of up to six weeks, with indicators on the locator so that you know when charging is needed
Track up to three pets using one locator (with additional tracking tags sold separately)
Pay for only the tracker itself, with no added subscription fees

What We Dislike

Finding a cat may be trickier on rough terrain or with obstacles in your path, and the tracker may need to get much closer to your cat before locating them

What Did Our Test Cats Think?

Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com

Though I was intimidated by the Marco Polo tracker at first, it ended up being very easy to set up and use. Since I don’t let my cats go outside unattended, I had to test it through other methods. So, after taking a few minutes to figure out how the tracking system worked, I had a family member hide around the house and outside holding the collar so that I could track them down as though they were a lost cat.

The tracker pointed me in the right direction every time, though of course it couldn’t point me through hallways or guide me around neighboring houses. This meant that I did have to use my own judgment to get to where it was telling me to go, but it wasn’t difficult. However, if your cat had ventured somewhere unfamiliar and there were large obstacles in your path, I can see how finding them may be much more challenging. Still, it would give you a place to start so that you weren’t searching blindly.

As part of testing, I also tried the collar on my cats, and even the smallest of them didn’t seem to mind the weight or size of the tracker. However, my cats do associate collars and harnesses with going outside or getting treats. Those who aren’t used to wearing collars regularly may have a more difficult adjustment period, as with any wearable item.

Overall, I do think the Marco Polo cat tracker does a good job at tracking lost cats. As with any cat tracker, it’s not a replacement for responsible cat ownership and supervising your cat outdoors. It’s best used as a backup plan in case your cat sneaks out of the house or escapes their harness by mistake.

It’s also worth noting that only breakaway collars should be used on cats, as they often climb and hide under brush. Collars without breakaway clasps can get caught on objects, causing a choking hazard. While a breakaway collar can save your cat’s life in these events, it might also lead to you finding only the collar and not the cat. Again, this isn’t a problem with the Marco Polo tracker but with cat trackers in general.

What Do Customers Think of the Scout Smart Pet Camera?

Positive Reviews

“I live in a mountainous valley where there is no cellular service, sketchy GPS and my cat roams freely daily. I was able to track my cat close to a mile away with dense forest.” Mike reviewing on Amazon.com

“I highly recommend this system. Despite it using older technology, it works perfectly. My husband, who is a techie, was initially dubious because he wanted to use GPS technology. However, we have used the Marco Polo system every single day for the past few months to locate our cat and it has worked 100%.” Jen reviewing on Amazon

Reviewers highlight the tracker’s long battery life and its ability to work in rural environments, even with thick brush or uneven terrain. Some do say that there’s a learning curve, especially on uneven ground or if there are large objects in the way. Many reviewers note that the tracker is pricey, but is worth the cost, especially since it doesn’t require a subscription service.

Negative Reviews

“We are archeologists who use GPS all the time out in the field. Despite numerous tries, we could not get this to track or locate our dog. He was lost for two days. We had to hire a helicopter and get friends and co-workers to walk the fields to find him.” Susan Osako reviewing on Amazon

“My cat is a 13.5 lb male – he’s young, strong and has a very solid build. He’s not huge, but definitely larger than the average cat. Despite this, I could find no way to make this work for him – it’s just a big brick under his chin.” Thomas Salvato reviewing on Amazon

The majority of negative reviews were due to technical problems, such as charging issues or the tracker not being able to find their missing pet. A couple of reviewers note that by the time the tracker was able to point them in the right direction, their pet was already in sight. Some also believe that the collar is too large for cats.